Mumbai: Fireman gets life term for setting wife ablaze over dowry

Mumbai: A 33-year-old, who worked as a fireman with the Mulund Fire Brigade, was on Wednesday sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court for setting his wife ablaze over a minor dispute in 2017.

The convict and his family allegedly harassed the victim over dowry since their marriage two years before the incident. Gaikwad's four family members, including his father, mother, sister and maternal uncle, who were co-accused in the case were acquitted.

Prosecutor Geeta Sharma said Lakhan Gaikwad had poured thinner over his wife, set a napkin on fire and thrown it over her. He had pretended to escape from the fire, while she was engulfed in it and shouting for help.

The couple got married in 2015. The harassment of victim Manisha started a few days later. She was being beaten, starved and not provided basic necessities like clothes over dowry demands.

In 2019, Manisha's father appeared before the sessions court and stated that his daughter had informed him about the (brutal) acts of her husband when she was taking treatment for burns at the Sion Hospital.

Another witness – a close relative of the victim in whom Manisha had confided – had also testified before the court. She also told the court about the victim being physically assaulted by the husband's family for dowry and being harassed further after she had approached the police earlier.

Case in detail

2015: Couple marries

Harassment starts sooner

Victim beaten, starved, deprived of clothes

2017: Convict immolates her after minor dispute

Co-accused: Man's father, mother, sister & maternal uncle

All acquitted

Read Also

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar receives death threat, complaint filed